The cityscape of Ancient Arena Online flickered around Les, but his mind wasn't focused on the digital world before him. Instead, it wandered back to a distant memory, one that had been lingering in the corners of his thoughts since their monster hunt. The dire wolf they'd fought, the chaos of battle—it all reminded him of a time long before this game, when his real life felt like a similar battlefield.
In the real world, Les sat hunched over at his desk in his dimly lit apartment, the glow of the VR headset beside him casting a faint light over the room. He took a deep breath, pushing himself up from his chair and walking to the window, looking out at the sprawling city below. The familiar view of towering buildings, bustling streets, and distant neon lights seemed like another world—one where his presence had always been an afterthought.
His thoughts drifted back to his father, Anton De Lamar—the man who cast a shadow over every aspect of his life. Anton, the visionary behind the most successful VR company, had built an empire from the ground up, earning both fear and respect. But to Les, his father was simply a man who had never seen him as more than mediocre, a failed experiment in his quest for greatness.
It wasn't just that Les had been the unwanted bastard son—though that certainly had compounded his feelings of inadequacy. It was the constant disappointment in his father's eyes, the way he had been told, over and over, that he was simply not good enough.
"Do better or don't do it at all," Anton had once said, his voice cold as he looked down at Les. It was one of the few times they'd been in the same room, and the words had cut deep. "Mediocrity is worse than failure."
Les clenched his fists as the memory resurfaced. That was years ago, during his time as an apprentice developer for The Hub. He had tried, genuinely tried, to make his mark. But nothing was ever enough for Anton, and it became clear that no matter what Les did, his father would never be satisfied.
The bitterness of those moments still stung, and it fueled the fire in his heart. This was why he had resolved to be the best—not just in the virtual world but in every aspect of his life. He wasn't just playing for himself; he was playing to prove everyone wrong. His father, the teammates who betrayed him, and the world that saw him as just another face in the crowd.
Les turned away from the window, his resolve hardening. "I'm going to climb my way out of this," he muttered under his breath. "And no one's going to stop me."
With renewed determination, Les slipped back into the VR headset, entering the vibrant world of Ancient Arena Online once more. The game welcomed him with its familiar hum of energy, the virtual city surrounding him in all its glory. But this time, it felt different. The stakes were higher.
Les wasn't just fighting for a place in the game anymore. He was fighting to reclaim his life.
He navigated through the city, making his way toward the arena district, a place where players gathered to challenge themselves against the toughest creatures and each other. As he walked, he passed groups of players chatting excitedly, forming plans, and sharing their latest victories.
But Les walked alone.
His thoughts still lingered on Tobias and Serena. The hunt had been successful, but there was something about the way they worked together that unnerved him. Trust was not something Les gave easily, and even though they had shown skill and camaraderie, a voice in his head reminded him of the betrayal he had experienced before.
"I can't rely on them," he told himself, though a part of him questioned that. "Not yet."
His fingers hovered over the menu interface, considering whether to message them. Maybe they could run another hunt, practice more, build that teamwork Serena had been so eager about. But just as he was about to reach out, a notification flashed in his vision—a new event had been posted in the arena district.
Boss Raid: The Shadow Drake of the Forgotten Temple.
Les's eyes narrowed. The Shadow Drake was infamous in Ancient Arena Online, known for its brutal difficulty and the massive rewards it offered to those skilled enough to defeat it. It would be a perfect test of his strength, and a step closer to proving himself.
Without another thought, Les accepted the raid invitation and teleported to the designated area.
The Forgotten Temple stood before him, a massive stone structure overgrown with twisting vines and bathed in the pale light of an artificial moon. The entrance loomed, dark and foreboding, as if daring anyone to enter. Les approached, his footsteps echoing against the stone floor as he stepped inside.
The temple was eerily quiet, the only sound being the distant rumble of stone shifting beneath his feet. As he moved deeper into the labyrinth of corridors, he could feel the tension building. This was no ordinary boss raid. The Shadow Drake was waiting somewhere within these ancient halls, and Les was determined to face it alone.
His heart pounded as he approached the final chamber, where the Shadow Drake resided. The air grew thick with anticipation, and a faint growl reverberated through the walls. Les stepped inside, his eyes locking onto the massive creature in the center of the room. The drake's scales shimmered in the darkness, its wings folded against its body, and its glowing eyes fixed on him with a predatory gaze.
This was it. His test. His chance to rise.
Les took a deep breath, his hands tightening around the hilt of his weapon. He would fight, not for a team, not for the approval of others, but for himself. This was his moment to prove his worth, to defy the expectations that had weighed him down for so long.
With a roar, the Shadow Drake lunged toward him, its claws slicing through the air. Les dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow, his reflexes kicking into high gear. He retaliated with a series of quick strikes, each one calculated, precise. But the drake was relentless, its massive form moving with surprising speed as it countered his every move.
The battle raged on, each clash of steel and scales sending shockwaves through the chamber. Les fought with everything he had, his body moving on instinct, his mind laser-focused on the drake's patterns and weaknesses. But as the fight wore on, he realized that the drake was not just a beast—it was a mirror of his own inner turmoil. The more he fought, the more he understood that this battle wasn't just about defeating the monster in front of him. It was about confronting the demons from his past.
His father's voice echoed in his mind again, sharp and unforgiving.
"Mediocrity is worse than failure."
With a snarl, Les pressed forward, his attacks growing fiercer, more desperate. He wasn't just fighting for victory. He was fighting for redemption.
And as the Shadow Drake let out one final roar, collapsing to the ground in defeat, Les stood over its body, panting and exhausted but victorious. The raid notification flashed across his screen, congratulating him on his triumph, but the real victory lay in the quiet realization that he had faced his inner shadows and emerged stronger.
Les took a deep breath, his heart still racing. The path ahead was long, and trust would come slowly, if at all. But for now, he had taken one more step toward becoming the person he needed to be.
And that was enough.